Cost of living in Walnut Creek research summary. The cost of living index is set to 100 for the average place in the United States. A cost of living index above 100 means Walnut Creek is expensive. An index value below 100 means the city is a relatively cheap place to live.
On a city-by-city basis in California, home prices and rent have the biggest impact on the cost of living. Here are the key takeaways based on Saturday Night Science:
The cost of living index in Walnut Creek is 180, with 100 being the average.
The cost of living index in Walnut Creek is 1.8x higher than the national average.
Walnut Creek ranks as the #530 cheapest in California out of 635.
Walnut Creek ranks as the #6,208 cheapest out of 6,412 in the US.
The median home value in Walnut Creek is $858,000.
The median income in Walnut Creek is $121,205.
According to the most recent data on the cost of living, Walnut Creek has an overall cost of living index of 180, which is 1.8x higher than the national index of 100.
Compared to California, Walnut Creek has a cost of living index that's 1.3x higher than California's index of 139.
The standard of living in Walnut Creek ranks as #530 most affordable out of the 635 places we measured in California. By definition, that implies Walnut Creek ranks as the #105 most expensive place in the Golden State.
For more reading on life in Walnut Creek, check out:
Six factors go into calculating the cost of living index in Walnut Creek. Here is how it fairs on each of the criteria:
The Services index in Walnut Creek is 117.
The Groceries index in Walnut Creek is 134.
The Health index in Walnut Creek is 124.
The Housing index in Walnut Creek is 301.
The Transportation index in Walnut Creek is 145.
The Utilities index in Walnut Creek is 134.
Living Expense | Walnut Creek | California | National Average | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Overall | 180 | 139 | 100 | |
Services | 117 | 110 | 100 | |
Groceries | 134 | 112 | 100 | |
Health | 124 | 109 | 100 | |
Housing | 301 | 204 | 100 | |
Transportation | 145 | 126 | 100 | |
Utilities | 134 | 124 | 100 |
Housing swings affordability the most between places in California, so we broke down housing costs into more detail. Home and income data comes from the most recent US Census ACS 2017-2021. The key points are:
The Median Home Value in Walnut Creek is $858,000.
The Median Rent in Walnut Creek is $2,363.
The Median Income in Walnut Creek is $121,205.
The Home Value To Income in Walnut Creek is 7.1x.
The Rent To Monthly Income in Walnut Creek is 0.23x.
Statistic | Walnut Creek | California | United States |
---|---|---|---|
Median Home Value | $858,000 | $573,200 | $244,900 |
Median Rent | $2,363 | $1,698 | $1,163 |
Median Income | $121,205 | $84,097 | $69,021 |
Home Value To Income | 7.1x | 6.8x | 3.5x |
Rent To Monthly Income | 0.23x | 0.24x | 0.2x |
Item | Walnut Creek | California |
---|---|---|
Shampoo | $1.39 | $1.06 |
Movie | $13.23 | $10.68 |
Bowling | $19.56 | $14.67 |
Haircut | $19.39 | $18.62 |
Beauty Salon | $67.86 | $39.05 |
Item | Walnut Creek | California |
---|---|---|
Ground Beef | $3.73 | $4.22 |
Fried Chicken | $1.89 | $1.39 |
Milk | $2.87 | $2.05 |
Potatoes | $3.35 | $3.29 |
Pizza | $12.66 | $10.62 |
Beer | $10.57 | $9.38 |
Toothpaste | $3.07 | $2.34 |
Item | Walnut Creek | California |
---|---|---|
Optometrist | $136.92 | $108.57 |
Doctor | $146.83 | $116.17 |
Dentist | $133.38 | $99.13 |
Item | Walnut Creek | California |
---|---|---|
Gasoline | $3.38 | $2.22 |
Tire Balancing | $62.03 | $50.07 |
Item | Walnut Creek | California |
---|---|---|
All Electricity | $269.4 | $167.67 |
Phone | $187.26 | $175.64 |
The cost of living varies in the cities and towns around Walnut Creek. Here's a quick look at the cost of living in the most populous nearby places:
San Ramon, CA has a cost of living index of 201, 1.1x Walnut Creek.
Mountain View, CA has a cost of living index of 220, 1.2x Walnut Creek.
Pleasanton, CA has a cost of living index of 203, 1.1x Walnut Creek.
City | Population | Cost Of Living | Vs. Walnut Creek |
---|---|---|---|
San Ramon, CA | 85,688 | 201 | 1.1x |
Mountain View, CA | 82,409 | 220 | 1.2x |
Pleasanton, CA | 79,558 | 203 | 1.1x |
Dublin, CA | 69,818 | 190 | 1.1x |
Danville, CA | 43,673 | 218 | 1.2x |
Pleasant Hill, CA | 34,649 | 171 | 0.9x |
San Lorenzo, CA | 30,420 | 151 | 0.8x |
Lafayette, CA | 25,384 | 236 | 1.3x |
Alamo, CA | 13,852 | 278 | 1.5x |
Piedmont, CA | 11,368 | 291 | 1.6x |